1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image display apparatus, an imaging apparatus, and an image processing method that process stereoscopic images enabling stereoscopic vision. More specifically, the present invention relates to layout of stereoscopic images.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been proposed digital cameras enabling output of a plurality of planer images representing different scenes in photography in a layout desired by a user. One of such digital cameras outputs a composite planar image in which a plurality of planer images are laid out (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050134939). A user selects a desired one of templates in various layouts recorded in advance in the digital camera, and images selected from a plurality of planer images are then inserted in the selected template. In this manner, a composite planar image is generated and output.
Meanwhile, methods of stereoscopic viewing have been known by displaying a plurality of images combined with use of parallax. A stereoscopic image realizing stereoscopic vision can be generated by obtaining a plurality of planar images through photography of the same subject from different viewpoints, and by combining the images with use of parallax of the subject included in the images.
At the time of generation of one stereoscopic image by laying out a plurality of stereoscopic images of different scenes, a parallax of a subject in planar images is used to view an image stereoscopically, as has been described above. Therefore, the depth of the stereoscopic image is dependent on the parallax. Consequently, an object located in background has a small parallax, since the object seems to be located at almost the same position when viewed by the left and right eyes. On the contrary, an object located in foreground seems to be located at positions different in right and left directions, and has a large parallax. For this reason, the depth of stereoscopic images varies, depending on scenes to be photographed.
However, if one planar image is generated by laying out a plurality of planar images of different scenes as has been described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050134939, the planar image does not represent the depth. Consequently, the method described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050134939 cannot be effectively used for a stereoscopic image arrangement.